ROLEX FASTNET: HOW TO WATCH

A Record Number of Entries To Set Off In This Historic Race

A record number of entries are making their final preparations in Cowes for the August 3rd start of the Rolex Fastnet Race. This is the 48th edition of Europe’s oldest offshore race, which attracts a range of boats, from local teams competing with their family and friends, to the highest performance multi and mono hull racing machines.

The start line for the 2019 race features numerous high-profile racing programs, many of whom work closely with North Sails to build sail inventories that deliver results. The three largest boats in the 2019 fleet are the 100’ Scallywag, Thomas Coville’s new 105’ Sodebo Ultim 3 and George David’s Rambler 88, all of whom have chosen North Sails 3Di to power their performance. Our design and engineering team will also be tracking the performance of a handful of North Helix sails across a range of boats throughout the fleet. The most recent #NSVictoryList for Helix comes from 2019 Fastnet entry VO70 Wizard, who used the specialized sail structure in their recent Transatlantic Race win.

The first start sequence begins at 12:30 local time and will see boats and crew representing 26 countries head westward down the Solent before exiting the English Channel and sailing towards the turning point at the famous Fastnet Rock. The history of this race is quite extraordinary, and crossing the finish line in Plymouth is an accomplishment in itself. This 605 nautical mile, non-stop offshore challenge is known to be one of the hardest sailboat races in our sport, with westerlies that can trigger gale force winds and meteorological disturbances that all competitors should expect to endure. The keys to winning are perseverance and getting ahead of the weather, and in some cases, using it to your advantage.

Here are some ways you can follow the race, no matter where you are in the world.

Live Stream The Start: Saturday 3 August

The entire start sequence will be streamed online from the official website and on Facebook Live.

Fastnet Website and Race Tracker:

Latest press releases, race news, images, video, tracking, Live Blog and the Virtual Regatta can all be found on the dedicated race minisite: www.rolexfastnetrace.com

All boats will be fitted with a fleet tracker: http://www.rolexfastnetrace.com/competitors/race-documents/fleet-tracking

Social Media:

Follow all the action on RORC social media: Don’t forget to tag your photos and videos with the official race hashtag, #RolexFastnetRace

The starts sequence will be streamed live on RORC Facebook and follow via the Royal Ocean Racing Club Social Media Channels.

You can also follow us on social, @North_Sails on Instagram and @NorthSails on Facebook.

Watch on BT Sport:

You can watch the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race from the comfort of your home with three hours of live coverage broadcast on BT Sport, the home of the 2019 SailGP series and 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race. Beginning at midday local time, BT Sport’s specialist sailing team will bring all the build-up, the race start and the first phase down to The Needles with live helicopter and chase boat coverage and commentary from experts and guests. This will be broadcast simultaneously on the RORC’s website, YouTube channel and Facebook, as well as The World Sailing Show YouTube channel.

Fastnet Radio:

Follow the Rolex Fastnet Race with full coverage on Fastnet Radio. Previews of the race from 29th July on the extended Cowes Radio 87.9fm, with full live commentary and coverage of the starts on Saturday 3rd August, as well as during the race and right up until the Prizegiving on Thursday evening, 8th August. Fastnet Radio 87.9fm will broadcast 24 hours a day in Plymouth, live from the docks with all the breaking race news, features and link-ups with race teams out on the course and online: http://www.879fm.uk/